From my Steinway grand piano, I'll teach you the fundamentals of tone production, touch and musical expression. A wide variety of musical selections in different genres will be explored to meet your individual needs. Pupils of all levels and ages are invited to begin their personal, tailor-made musical journey, so let's get started!

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VIDEO LIBRARY

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INSTRUCTOR BIO

Shirley Kirsten

Experience: 35 years +

Education: New York City HS of Performing Arts; Bach. of Music (Performance and Pedagogy) Oberlin Conservatory; Master of Arts, New York University

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Student Ratings

5.0

Stars

Based on 2 reviews

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About Shirley

The piano is my passion. There's nothing more gratifying than to impart my love for this instrument to students eager to learn.

I teach pupils of all ages and levels, and imbue an appreciation of the piano as a singing instrument with a repository of color and nuance. To produce a singing tone, and have a fluid technique, students need to learn the physical dimension of playing: how the arms, wrists and fingers work together in a relaxed flow and harmony. An appreciation of form, structure, and harmonic outline is also a necessary learning enrichment.

My teaching, performance and recording background amplify my understanding of what pupils of all levels need in the way of a solid learning foundation.

A graduate of the NYC HS of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory and holding a Master's Degree from NYU I feel I can help those who are embarking upon their piano studies, or who have returned to them with renewed enthusiasm.

All levels of study equally interest me with my personal commitment to make each and every student's musical journey a custom-made one.

Published in the California Music Teacher Magazine, Clavier, and The Piano Quarterly

TESTIMONIALS

Featured Comments

"Shirley teaches her students how to make their pianos to sing beautifully. You learn many wonderful techniques, more you learn how to delve deeply into music. It’s systematic and insightful. I’m greatly inspired by her absolute passion for teaching and music-making."

"I live in a small island in Greece and the chances of finding a good piano teacher here are very few. While I was searching for tutorial videos on you tube, I came across Shirley's channel. I really liked her instructions and was fascinated with her very expressive and colorful playing.I then found out she teaches online and now she has become my regular teacher.
"My improvement over many months has been significant especially in the sound and quality of my playing.I love the way she teaches me to phrase the melodies, bring out the dynamics and play with a singing tone."

"Great experiences on distance learning --My daughter is studying piano under Ms. Kirsten. We live about 1000 miles away from her studio. Modern technology has made distance learning possible. Ms. Kirsten is a very good communicator, which is the key to successful distance learning. Her teaching is simply brilliant! Only over a short period of time with her, my daughter's playing has improved substantially. I agree with all other reviewers said about her excellent skills and enthusiasm. I am very grateful. "